Providing information, education, and training to build knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes that will lead to increased independence, productivity, self determination, integration and inclusion (IPSII) for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA--"Unspeakable
Conversations", written by disability rights attorney Harriet McBryde Johnson,
was featured as the cover story of New York Times Magazine's February 16
edition.

The story chronicles her conversations, correspondence and debates with
Princeton University bioethics professor Dr. Peter Singer.

Singer believes that parents should be able to decide whether their
children with disabilities will live or die.

"He is the man who wants me dead," she wrote. "No, that's not at all
fair. He wants to legalize the killing of certain babies who might come to be
like me if allowed to live. He also says he believes that it should be lawful
under some circumstances to kill, at any age, individuals with cognitive
impairments so severe that he doesn't consider them 'persons.'"

In the article, Johnson gives us a personal look at this debate, and a
peek into her intense passion, curiosity and sense of justice.

It is simply one of the best pieces I've ever read on the issue.

On Saturday, Johnson's hometown newspaper featured an article about
her.

The GCDD is funded under the provisions of P.L. 106-402. The federal law also provides funding to the Minnesota Disability Law Center,the state Protection and Advocacy System, and to the Institute on Community Integration, the state University Center for Excellence. The Minnesota network of programs works to increase the IPSII of people with developmental disabilities and families into community life.